The Department for Transport (DfT) allows local authorities outside of London to carry out moving traffic enforcement under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.
Surrey County Council intend to carry out camera enforcement of the yellow box junctions on the Guildford Gyratory at the junctions of Walnut Tree Close and Millbrook, Guildford. We are starting a six-week consultation from March 2024 to ask for your opinion about these proposals.
Enforcement of the yellow box junctions at these locations will help us manage traffic on the highway network and should reduce junction blocking thereby helping traffic flows and have a positive environmental impact on these routes.
Background and legislation
In 2022, the Department of Transport designated the county of Surrey as a civil enforcement area for moving traffic contraventions.
This means traffic enforcement cameras can be used to enforce a variety of highway restrictions on Surrey roads to help improve safety and reduce congestion.
What are moving traffic restrictions and how are they enforced?
Moving traffic restrictions are designated by traffic signs and road markings, such as stopping in yellow box junctions, making banned turns, driving the wrong way down one-way streets and driving in recognised cycle lanes.
Please do look at Annex A: traffic signs subject to moving traffic enforcement.
In this case the yellow box markings on Guildford gyratory would be monitored by an ANPR camera and Civil Enforcement Officers. Vehicles that stopped on the yellow boxes (and committed a contravention) would be identified from their registration number and sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) in the post.
Why we want to enforce these yellow box marking restrictions in Surrey
Specifically, traffic enforcement cameras provide an option to make travel and transportation schemes more effective and could be a key tool in helping deliver transportation and environmental objectives to reduce congestion and improve facilities for buses, cycles and pedestrians, particularly vulnerable road users.
The proposed locations
We are proposing to enforce around the following junctions Bridge Street at the junction of Walnut Tree Close (Google Maps), Onslow Street at the junction of Millbrook (Google Maps)
Why we selected these locations
These locations were chosen for camera enforcement as we carried out a 7-day survey and found high volumes of vehicles contravening the yellow box junction markings, this limits the traffic flow and increases the vehicle stationary time. Resulting in longer journeys and an environmental impact.
What this means for you
We are not proposing to add any additional traffic restrictions to those that are already in place, so drivers that continue to comply with the yellow box junction markings at each location will not be at risk of enforcement action.
The DfT stipulate that warning notices must be sent to motorists who commit an offence for the first time, for a period of six months from the installation of a camera. Subsequent offences by the same vehicle/keeper would receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN), which is to be set at £70 (reduced to £35 if paid early).
Have your say
We would like to hear your views about the proposed traffic camera enforcement for the yellow box junctions on the Guildford Gyratory in case there is anything unforeseen that would not make these suitable locations for camera enforcement. The consultation will run from Friday 1 March 2024 to Friday 12 April 2024 and can be accessed below.
